United Nations' Global Goals For Sustainable Development

A 10­-minute projection mapping show, projected using DWP Live equipment, provides a visual center for the United Nations' Global Goals Launch for Sustainable Development.

Submitted by DWP LIVE | Mar 25, 2016

Middle Tennessee-based video production and projection mapping company, DWP Live, played a critical role in September’s launch of the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

The weeklong celebration and humanitarian awareness campaign featured a projection mapping piece on the UN’s New York City headquarters, which was filmed and used as part of the coverage of 2015’s Global Citizen Festival. London-based animation and projection design company, 59 Productions, designed and produced the projection mapping piece, calling on DWP Live to project the content.

The UN’s ‘Global Goals’ are a series of ambitious targets to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change for everyone by 2030. According to the initiative, if the goals are met, they ensure the health, safety and future of the planet for everyone on it.

Projected on the north tower and general assembly wall of the UN headquarters, the 10-minute animated show introduced each of the 17 Global Goals, presenting them in an accessible and visually exciting way. The piece used DWP Live’s d3 4×4 Pro VFC-equipped media servers and 16 Barco HDF W30 and 20 Barco HDX W20 projectors. DWP Live owns one of North America’s largest inventories of media servers and projectors.

The projection was filmed and included in that Saturday’s Global Citizen Festival, which drew 60,000 people to Central Park’s great lawn, and included performances by Pearl Jam, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay. Stephen Colbert, Salma Hayek Pinault, Deborra-Lee Furness, Hugh Jackman, Kerry Washington and Olivia Wilde hosted the event.

“This particular piece was a giant public display that was seen by the public in New York, delegates and UN staff, as well as television and online audiences worldwide. It’s an event that we’re humbled and proud to be a part of,” said DWP Live President Danny Whetstone. “Projection mapping is the core of our business. It’s a technology that can bring people of every culture and age group together, which is just what this global event required.”

The Global Goals launch week came about through a partnership with Global Citizen, a content, events and campaigning platform for the movement to end extreme poverty by 2030 and Project Everyone. Project Everyone is the brainchild of Richard Curtis, a filmmaker and founder of Comic Relief. The goal of Project Everyone was to share these goals with all seven billion people on the planet over the course of a week.

“As a company that’s rooted in projecting larger than life shows to capture the imaginations of the biggest audiences, we agree with Project Everyone’s belief that the UN’s Global Goals have best chance of being met when everyone on the planet is aware of them,” said Rick Boot, DWP Live’s general partner. “We’re honored to play our small part in helping the world achieve these goals.”